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‘American Idol’ cuts a big check to its winners — but there’s a huge catch most don't know about

‘American Idol’ Season 23 just ended — here’s how much money the winner (and maybe the runner-ups) walked away with

After weeks of cutthroat battles and incredible performances, 'American Idol' has finally crowned its new winner, and it's none other than Jamal Roberts. During the grand finale of Season 23 of the ABC singing competition, Roberts defeated finalists John Foster and Breanna Nix to clinch the prestigious trophy. Surprisingly, show host Ryan Seacrest even revealed the event as "the biggest finale vote in ABC Idol history," with over 27 million votes being cast. However, right now, fans of the show must be busy wondering how much money the winner and the runners-up take away. But don't worry, we have got you all covered.

Roberts, the winner of 'American Idol' Season 23, bagged a record deal with Hollywood Records. According to a report by American Songwriter, Roberts walked away with an average of $125,000 on signing, and he also received another $100,000 after completing his first album. It has been reported by the media outlet that winners also receive a $300,000 advance on recording as an advance, which gets recovered by subsequent earnings.

In a conversation with Business Insider, 'American Idol' Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe shed light on the show's winning prize by saying, "You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes. And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get after you complete the record. So it's just like an advance from the record deal, but I'm pretty sure I have to recoup it."

Up until this moment, the exact winning prize of the contestants who finish in second and third place is unknown. However, many contestants have benefited greatly from the show and capitalized on the exposure and built impressive careers. During an interview with People magazine in September 2024, Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, who finished in seventh place on the third season of 'American Idol', revealed how the show helped her to launch her music career. 

While taking a trip down memory lane, the 'If This Isn't Love' hitmaker said, "Sometimes, you just don't know what time you're in until you look back at it. I would've never known, or how could I have ever known, that 20 years ago, making that choice to do American Idol would start such a huge change in my life. [I didn't know] that would set my career, that I could sit here and say, 20 years later, I'm still here in the industry."

Some of the renowned faces in country music got their big start on 'American Idol', including Lauren Alaina, who ended up as the runner-up during the tenth season of the show, and Gabby Barrett, who came in third place during Season 16, which aired in 2018. Since her time on 'American Idol,' Alaina has released several albums and won esteemed awards like the CMT Music Award and the Academy of Country Music Award. On the other hand, Barrett, who dropped her debut album 'Goldmine' in June 2020, has also managed to pave a path for herself in the music industry.